


Barbed Wire

by BastardPrince



Series: trc: Gansey and Ronan [1]
Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Insomnia, M/M, Ronan Lynch Angst, Sleeping Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 05:53:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17218235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BastardPrince/pseuds/BastardPrince
Summary: Ronan’s frustration is liked barbed wire. Once he’s snared, it’s difficult to escape. The more he struggles, the more tangled he becomes. It helps to have someone cut him free and pull the barbs from his skin. These days, that duty falls to Gansey.---Ronan can't sleep. Gansey helps.





	Barbed Wire

It's 2:23 AM in Henrietta, Virginia. Somewhere on the outskirts of town, Joseph Kavinsky and his crew are throwing empty beer bottles at streetlights just to watch the showers of sparks that fall when the lightbulbs shatter. Other than that, the town is quiet.

At Monmouth Manufacturing, Gansey can't sleep. This is not unusual. Gansey is well-acquainted with sleepless nights. Tonight, he occupies himself with calculus homework, sitting at his desk in a pair of boxers and a t-shirt, wire-frame glasses resting on his nose. His desk is a mess of papers; his textbook and notes strewn across its surface. Though he has always been quite proficient at math, Gansey has never understood the passion that some people feel for the subject. He can make the numbers march obediently across the page until they transform into the correct answer, but he has never wanted to dedicate himself to the numbers in the way he has dedicated himself to the search for Glendower.

Gansey's desk faces a window, so he doesn't see Ronan when he comes out of his room. Given his concentration on the his work, Gansey doesn't hear the soft click of the bedroom door or Ronan's bare feet padding across the floor, either.

"Gansey?"

Turning around in his desk chair, Gansey sees Ronan, who is wearing a pair of tattered grey sweatpants and looking at him hesitantly.

"What's up, man?"

Instead of answering, Ronan drops to his knees between Gansey's legs and leans into him. Unfazed, Gansey places a hand on Ronan's head and cards his fingers through the buzzed hair at the base of Ronan’s skull. 

To an outsider, this may seem like a strangely intimate moment for two roommates, but Gansey and Ronan are far more than roommates. The boys have been friends ever since Gansey moved to Henrietta, and they quickly became like brothers to each other. 

After Niall Lynch was murdered, Ronan’s world imploded and he began to self-destruct. To the public, he became a sharp, angry creature who lashed out unpredictably and rebelled against authority. But when he was alone with Gansey, Ronan was more vulnerable than ever. Instead of pulling away, Gansey gave himself wholeheartedly unto Ronan, and the two boys became inextricable.

Back at Monmouth, a few moments pass. Gansey continues running his hand over Ronan's head until he looks up, a flush high on his cheeks.

"What's wrong, Ronan?" Gansey asks gently.

"It's stupid."

Gansey moves his hand down to cup Ronan's jaw. His thumb rests on the corner of Ronan's lips.

"Tell me anyway."

Ronan pauses.

"It's just, I'm so fucking tired. But I can't sleep. I've been trying for hours." He looks down. "I don't -- I know it’s lame."

Gansey understands. Ronan’s frustration is liked barbed wire. Once he’s snared, it’s difficult to escape. The more he struggles, the more tangled he gets. He needs someone to cut him free and pull the barbs from his skin. These days, that duty falls to Gansey. 

"My good boy. If you're tired, let's go to bed."

Pushing back his chair, Gansey stands up. Then he offers his hands to Ronan. Ronan accepts and lets Gansey pull him to his feet.

When they're both standing, Ronan is about two inches taller than Gansey, but that doesn't stop him from wrapping his arms around Gansey's waist and going almost entirely limp against his chest. Countless early morning rowing practices have left Gansey more than capable of handling Ronan's weight.

Once Gansey has walked them over to the bed in the middle of the room, he sits Ronan down among the rumpled sheets and comforter. Gansey removes his glasses and crawls into bed beside Ronan.

He grabs a pillow and pushes the sheets and comforter to the side. Then Gansey reaches for Ronan and prompts him to lie down. Ronan shuffles close to Gansey, moving to rest his head on Gansey's chest and throwing an arm over Gansey's midriff.

Gansey tightens his arm against Ronan's back.

"Gansey?"

"Yeah?"

"Nothing."

They lie quietly for a few moments.

"Gansey?"

"Still here, Ronan."

"Can you -- can you talk to me? I want to forget myself."

Speaking just loud enough for Ronan to hear, Gansey starts to tell him about his calculus teacher’s apparent midlife crisis. Really, it was the new mustache and shockingly tight dress pants that clued Gansey in. Ronan half-listens to Gansey's story and half-listens to Gansey's heartbeat, his ear pressed against Gansey’s chest. It's fitting that a king’s heartbeat should be so strong and steady. 

After recounting Helen’s latest escapade (an incident involving an ambitiously-piloted helicopter, a mangled tree, and an aghast Mrs. Gansey), Gansey notices that Ronan is asleep. He is breathing deeply, dark eyelashes adorning the tops of his cheeks.

Smiling softly, Gansey reaches for the bedding beside him, trying not to jostle Ronan. He uses his free hand to pull the comforter over their bodies.

"Sweet dreams Ronan Lynch, you incredible creature. God knows you need them more than anyone else.”


End file.
